Life After Magic
by Just a Complicated Person
Summary: For Kelly, Hannah, and Darbie: the magic cook book changed everything. But the changes that happen in their lives after the magic leaves, wind up being just a big. Get ready for a very special tale where everything WILL change! *Rated T for adult conversations and situations that begin happening in the third chapter.
1. Just Add Confession

Kelly Quinn stood in a kitchen and held out her right hand as she said, "It's time. I need butter, eggs, and chocolate." Kelly's friend Hannah walked up next to her and handed her a stick of butter and eggs. Kelly then said, "Great. But where's the chocolate?" Kelly and Hannah turned their heads and saw walking into the kitchen was Darbie eating a piece of chocolate several feet away from them. Darbie then looked at her two friends and said, "What? There's plenty here." Kelly smirked as she said, "Some things never change." Hannah then said, "Come on Darbie. There's plenty of chocolate here, because we have to cook for hundreds of people now. Not just ourselves." Darbie sighed and brought the remaining chocolate over to her two friends.

The three girls were cooking in the kitchen of Mama P's restaurant and already had many dishes of food prepared. Jake then walked into the room and said, "Oh good. You got all the blueberry muffins ready. What about the chocolate ones?" Kelly then said, "Working on it now Jake." Jake then said, "Great. You girls are lifesavers." Jake then walked out of the kitchen as Kelly's grandmother Becky stepped in. Becky who looked a little tired, smiled as she said, "Wow. I haven't done waitress duties since I was in college. It makes me feel both young... and even older now at the same time." Kelly then said, "Oh come on grandma. The customers loves you." Darbie then said, "She's right Grandma Q. Plus you're really good at getting customers to try the new specials. No one can say no to a nice old lady like you. Not that you look that old. In fact if I didn't know you were Kelly's grandma, I'd think you were a cool hip college kid."

Becky laughed a bit as Hannah said, "It _is_ great that you're helping out here at Mama P's considering she was never the best friend to you." Becky then said, "Well I wasn't the best friend to Ida either. But I'm really happy just to help Jake out. It's great Ida is giving him a chance to manage the store without him for a few weeks while she's helping Gina get settled in her new place. Although you girls are the real ones to thank, making so many fantastic new foods for this place." Kelly then said, "Well after getting creative with magical food for a year, getting creative with regular food is no problem." Becky continued to smile as she left the kitchen while saying, "Well keep up the good work."

Darbie then said, "Well how are we doing with the next batch of muffins?" Kelly then said, "Just about ready to put this in. The next batch isn't going to be needed to be taken out for another twenty minutes." Darbie then said, "And we're at the afternoon lull now. You mind if I take a break and do some studying?" Kelly then said, "Sure, I guess." Darbie nodded and said, "Thanks." Darbie then rushed out of the room as a surprised Hannah looked at Kelly and said, "What's with Darbie? It's a Sunday and she wants to study?" Kelly then said, "I'm as surprised as you are. But ever since we gave up the magic cook book, Darbie's been studying a lot more in school. In fact she got all A's on every Match quiz last month." Hannah then said, "You're kidding!?" Kelly then said, "I know. Guess Darbie is finally growing up."

* * *

A few hours later in the evening as it was getting dark outside Jake was handing food to a customer as Darbie walked out the kitchen. Darbie then said, "Hey Jake. It's getting late. You mind if I head home early to study?" Jake then said, "Hey. You've already done more than enough. Go home and get some rest. And take a smoothie to go. Gotta make sure my workers are well nourished if they're gonna work well." Darbie picked up a smoothie as she said, "Nice. Thanks." Jake and Darbie waved as Darbie left while Kelly stepped over to Jake. Kelly nudged Jake a bit and said, "Look at you. Being such a good boss. Jake, you are really good at treating your workers well and handling this business." Jake took a deep breath and said, "Yeah. Well it's not easy running a business while still being in high school." Kelly then said, "Well hey. Me, Hannah, Darbie, and Grandma are totally cool with helping you out as much as we can while Mama P is away. And like I said, my dad can come in if you're swamped too." Becky then walked over to Jake and said, "We're all willing to help out such a hard working man like yourself Jake. Your parents must be so proud of you." Kelly then said, "You know... Jake, I just realized. We've never met your parents. Are they..."

Suddenly the door opened and an African American man walked into the shop. Jake's eyes widened as he said, "Oh my gosh." A confused looking Kelly then said, "What Jake? What's wrong? You look like your most difficult customer of your lifetime just walked in." Jake then said, "It's worse. Kelly... that's actually my dad." Jake's father then walked over to the group as he said, "Son. Good evening." Jake nodded and said, "Hey dad. So... you've actually decided to come see me at work for once." Jake's dad then said, "I decided it wouldn't hurt to see this _place_ you spend time at." Becky then said, "Oh, well Mr. Williams, it's a pleasure to finally meet you. My name is Becky Quinn and I have known your son for years and he's one of the best cooks I've ever met." Jake's dad then said, "I know. Cooking is an important skill. Although I would've preferred Jake taken up more lucrative hobbies." Jake rolled his eyes as he said, "Come on dad. Really? Right here in front of my customers?" Jake's dad then said, "I'm not here to insult your cooking son. But I'm sure your employees and friends here would agree, this is a good_ hobby_ to take part in. But now that you're in high school, it's time to start preparing for a career that has more security in it. Like studying to be a doctor like myself?" Jake then said, "Come on dad. I'm not an adult yet and I'm already running a restaurant. Doesn't that show I have a future in this?" Jake's father then said, "You're temporarily in charge until the owner gets back I believe. But you know small businesses come and go. What if you get seriously ill one day or need a new car? How much _profit_ does this place _really_ make Jake?" Jake's dad then turned to look at Becky and said, "Mrs. Quinn, you come across to me as a successful woman. Do you think this is the most lucrative type of business to run?" Becky then said, "Well no but..." Jake's dad then said, "Exactly. Jake, I know you find cooking fun. But it's time to think about the future and do something more meaningful with your life. Good day." Jake's dad then walked out of the restaurant as Kelly and Becky stood with uneasy looks on their faces, while Jake had a very troubled look on his.

* * *

Hannah stood at a door and knocked on it. Darbie then answered the door and with a surprised look said, "Hannah. What are you doing here?" Hannah then held up a book and said, "You forgot one of your textbooks at Mama P's." Darbie then made a smirk and said, "Well that's me. Forgetful Darbie." Hannah then said, "Well you're a little less forgetful lately it seems. I looked through this book and saw how you've been writing your work out on the pages. Darbie, your math skills have _really_ improved lately." As Darbie took the book from Hannah she said, "Thanks." Hannah then looked on a table near the door and saw a series of forms. Hannah looked at them said, "These have the Fox Canyon logo on them and... these are application forms. Darbie... are you applying to Fox Canyon Magnet School?"

Darbie looked a little nervous as she said, "What if I am?" Hannah then said, "Darbie, it's really hard to get in there you know. Your math skills have gotten a lot better, but you know your work has to be at an all A's kind of level to get in." Darbie then said, "Well, maybe I'll get all A's soon. Then we can both be at Fox Canyon together." Hannah smiled as she said, "Darbie. You don't have to get into Fox Canyon just so you can keep hanging out with me. We already established this. We can still be good friends even if we go to different schools." Darbie who looked a bit more nervous now said, "Yeah I know but... I still want to get into Fox Canyon." Hannah then said, "Then why?" Darbie now looked frustrated as she said, "Because... because I have to okay! Now good night!" Darbie then pushed Hannah out the door and closed it. Hannah looked very troubled and confused as she said, "What is going on?"

* * *

Kelly, Jake, and Becky were closing up the restaurant as Kelly said, "Hey Jake. I hope you don't mind me saying this but... your dad is kind of a jerk." Becky then said, "Kelly, be respectful to your elders." Kelly then said, "Sorry grandma." Becky then said, "Good. But since I'm an older elder, I can definitely say... Jake, your dad is kind of a jerk." Jake rolled his eyes and said, "Tell me about it. My dad has been a doctor my whole life and has always been trying to get me to be one like him. He keeps trying to get me internships at his hospital he works at but I keep refusing. I like cooking. It's what I want to keep doing for the rest of my life." Kelly then said, "Good for you Jake. Follow your dreams." Becky then said, "What about your mother Jake? What does she think?" Jake then said, "Well... she died when I was ten." Becky then said, "Oh Jake. I'm so sorry. I didn't know." Jake then said, "It's okay. Honestly, I got into cooking because she loved to do it. I first started doing it by myself because it helped me remember my mother and made me still feel close to her. But now it's become something I genuinely like to do all the time. But my dad keeps telling me: _being successful means doing many things you don't like to do_." Kelly then said, "Well your dad is wrong Jake. Forget him and follow your path." Becky then said, "That's easy to say Kelly but Jake's dad is still family. He can't just walk away from him and build a rift. Breaking up a family always sounds easy, but it always leaves more pain for everyone in the end. Just look at me, Gina, and Ida. We were like family and us three breaking away didn't help anybody. Jake needs to build a bridge between him and his dad. Not burn one." Kelly looked down a bit and said, "Yeah grandma. You're right." Jake sighed and then said, "I just don't know how to do that." Becky then said, "Hmm. Jake... I may have an idea."

* * *

The next day Darbie was walking home from school down a neighborhood sidewalk as Hannah ran up to her. Hannah then said, "Darbie, hey. Wait up." Darbie then said, "Can't. I have to get home and finish a big paper due tomorrow." Hannah then said, "It's about that. Darbie, you don't have to do all this extra studying and school work." Darbie then said, "Why not? Isn't getting straight A's in school important?" Hannah then said, "It is. But you don't have to do it just so you can get in Fox Canyon." Darbie then said, "I told you. I want to get into Fox Canyon." Hannah then said, "But I told you. You don't have to get into Fox Canyon just to be with more. We still hang out a lot. I mean we're friends." Darbie then said, "I know Hannah." Hannah then said, "Then tell me why you're still doing this." Darbie then stopped dead in her tracks causing Hannah to stop moving too. Darbie then turned around to look at Hannah and said, "You really wanna know why I'm doing this? I'm doing this because I don't want things to be the way they _are_. I miss you Hannah. I miss being in half my classes with you, and eating lunch with you every day, and walking to school together, and having you help me on the same homework assignments." Hannah then said, "But we can still have dinner once a week together and hand out on weekends and..." Darbie interrupted Hannah and said, "That's not enough. It hurts whenever you're not around Hannah. I want us to be together as much as possible. And my heart will do whatever it takes to be with you as much as it can forever." A confused looking Hannah then said, "Darbie, what are you saying?" Darbie then with a very nervous look on her face said, "Hannah, I... I..." Then Darbie took a deep breath, then took a step forward, looked into Hannah's eyes, put her hands on Hannah's cheeks, and then... Darbie moved her face forward and kissed Hannah on the lips. Hannah's eyes widened as she stood completely still as Darbie kissed her. Darbie then moved her face away from Hannah and with a completely certain look on her face said, "Hannah Parker-Kent... I'm in love with you." Hannah's eyes simply widened and with a completely uncertain and nervous look on her face Hannah said, "Whoa."

**TO BE CONTINUED...**


	2. Just Add New Love

Kelly and Jake were busy cooking in the kitchen of Mama P's as Jake said, "Okay. I think we're in a good place now with how much I made. I'm gonna head over and start preparing. Can you hold down the fort?" Kelly nodded and said, "Yeah. My dad said he'd be in here in awhile to help." Jake smiled and said, "Thanks Kelly. You're the best." Jake then headed out of the restaurant as Becky walked into the kitchen and said, "Wow Kelly. You've been baking all day. Do you need a rest?" An exhausted looking Kelly then said, "Actually yes. Can you just watch the oven, and take the latest batch out when it beeps?" Becky nodded as Kelly headed out of the kitchen and saw Hannah sitting by herself.

Kelly then walked over to Hannah and sat in front of her as she said, "Hey Hannah. You're looking a bit down. Everything okay?" Hannah who looked a bit confused said, "Yes. Or maybe no. Or... I don't know. Something... really big happened the other day to me Kelly. Like... really big." Kelly then said, "Well whatever it is, you're one the smartest people I know. I'm sure you'll be able to find a solution to whatever..." Hannah then interrupted Kelly and then blurted out, "Darbie told me she's in love with me. Like... romantically in love with me." Kelly's eyes widened with a look of surprise on her face as she said, "And that sure sounds like a real big thing. Wow. Just... wow." Hannah who started to rest her head on her hand said, "I know. It just... came out of her. And now... I don't know what I'm supposed to say or do." Kelly then said, "Because you don't want to hurt her?" Hannah then looking more confused now said, "No. Yes. I mean no. I mean... I don't know. It's like when she started talking about her feelings, it started making me get confused with my feelings and..." Kelly then said, "Hannah, can I make an observation?" Hannah quickly nodded and said, "Please."

Kelly then took a deep breath and said, "You're an incredibly intelligent young woman Hannah. You're great at science and math, and can solve all sorts of equations. But one of the reasons why I think you're so good at that kind of stuff is that... being in that realm of thinking helps relax you. Life is easy in a world where two plus two is always four, and two hydrogen atoms and an oxygen atom always make a water molecule. Emotions, feelings, love... that's a more tricky thing to figure out and master. There is no perfect equation to figure out the mysteries of romance." Hannah sighed and said, "I know. I know Kelly." Kelly then gently grabbed Hannah's hands and said, "But as a scientist, I'm sure you know... you can't solve a mystery unless you start exploring it." A few tears then began to come from Hannah's eyes as she said, "But I'm afraid Kelly. I'm afraid of doing something that I'll never fully understand." Kelly made a little smile as she said, "Yeah. But the benefit of love is knowing you won't have to explore the unknown alone." Hannah made a little smile back as she said, "Thank you Kelly." Kelly nodded and said, "Hey. You and Darbie are my best friends. And no matter what happens, you two will always be like family to me."

* * *

Jake was riding his bike down a sidewalk but stopped when he saw Darbie at the edge of the park sitting on a bench by herself. Jake went over to Darbie and sat next to her as he said, "Hey Darbie. Everything okay?" Darbie who looked up into space said, "I don't know. And why do people ask if everything is okay? I mean considering war, hate crimes, and hunger are being experienced somewhere in the world every day, can we really say if everything is okay with..." Jake then stopped Darbie and said, "Whoa. Let me back it up a bit. Everything okay with you? You look really lost in thought." Darbie then said, "I am. I'm really thinking over and over if something I did the other day was the right thing to do."

Jake then said, "Well I usually don't think of you as someone who second guesses herself. You usually just say or do what you want to do and never worry about..." Darbie then interrupted Jake and said, "I told Hannah I was in love with her. That's romantic love by the way, and not sisterly love." Jake's eyes widened as he said, "Whoa. Well... I guess that _is_ something worth dwelling on." Darbie then looked away a bit as she said, "Yeah. And now I feel like a fool." Jake looking a bit confused said, "Why?" Darbie then said, "Why? Because me and Hannah have been best friends forever and have always been really cool with each other. But I just totally messed up a fine status quo we had by dropping a huge bomb shell on her. I mean I didn't even think about what if she doesn't feel the same. I didn't even consider what if this makes things awkward between us forever."

Jake then said, "Whoa Darbie. Now listen. Yes, it is smart to consider negative possibilities in any situation. But you also have to work towards the positive ones. Think about my food bike business. Did I consider the fact that it wouldn't work out? Yes, of course I did. But I didn't _dwell_ on that. Instead, I imagined how success would look like, and spent all of my time putting the pieces together to make that dream come to reality. Same thing with you. Don't just worry about how things will go _wrong_. Work towards making them go _right_. And after you've done everything you can... just hope for the best." Darbie smiled as she said, "Thanks Jake. So... is it possible I can get a burrito from you out of sympathy for what I'm going through right now?" Jake made a big smile as he put a hand on Darbie's shoulder and said, "No."

* * *

That evening in a hospital cafeteria tons of fancy food was set up as Jake and Kelly was serving food while wearing aprons over fancy clothes they were wearing. From nearby Becky walked over to the two and said, "This fundraiser is going perfectly you two." A smiling Kelly then said, "I know. Everyone likes the food, and we're raising tons of money for needy families who have trouble paying for expensive surgeries." Jake then said, "Not to mention it gives the restaurant and my signature brand food free publicity. This was definitely a great plan." Suddenly Jake's father appeared walking over to the group and said, "Hello son." Jake nodded and said, "Hey dad." Jake's father then said, "Everyone seems to be enjoying your food. I'll admit... your burritos are quite the hit." Jake smiled and said, "Thanks. By the way, I don't know if you heard but the head of the hospital talked with us earlier, and he's considering buying food from us regularly to serve here." Jake's father then said, "Yes I did hear. And I'll admit... this place could use consumable products that are more edible." Jake then said, "Hey dad, listen. I know being a doctor is important to you. And even though I don't want to have your kind of job one day, I do want to help support you and the kind of hard work you do. So from here on out, I'll always be helping make great food for this hospital and more if I can. And maybe one day I can be a_ full time_ supplier of meals as well." Jake's father then said, "Well... that is a... more acceptable career plan versus what you've said before. We'll talk more at home later about this." Jake's father then walked away as a smiling Kelly then squeezed Jake's hand and said, "Oh my goodness. It worked. Jake then squeezed Kelly's hand back as he said, "I know." Jake and Kelly then looked at one another as Jake said, "Thanks Kelly. For being with me every step of the way through this." Kelly smiled and said, "Any time. I'll always be there for you."

* * *

Several minutes later, in another area of the cafeteria Hannah was wearing a long blue sleeveless dress as she was walking and looking around. Suddenly she bumped into someone and said, "Oof. Sorry." Hannah then suddenly saw she had bumped into Darbie who was wearing a long sleeveless green dress along with small gold earrings on her ears. Hannah's face got red as she said, "Darbie! Hey." Darbie who looked a little nervous said, "Hey. I was looking for you just now. Even though I wasn't sure if you were gonna come. I know I could've texted you asking if you were going to be here but I didn't want our first conservation since our last one to be just a quick text message." Hannah then said, "Yeah. About that. Darbie..." Darbie then said, "Listen. I know I dropped a huge bomb-shell on you the other day. I know I can't take back what I said back. But you know me well enough to know I always say whatever I'm thinking about and never hide it either, and if I didn't truly believe there was something special between us, I wouldn't have said anything or..." Hannah then suddenly interrupted Darbie and said, "I love you too." Darbie suddenly looked pleasantly shocked as her eyes widened and her mouth turned into a little smile as she said, "What?" Hannah then said, "I love you too. And if you're willing to give... _this_ a shot, I'm willing too." Darbie's smile got bigger as she said, "Wow." The two girls then simply stood still as they looked into each other's eyes while just smiling at one another. After several moments of this Hannah then said, "So now what?" Darbie with still a big smile on her face then said, "I have no flipping idea."

* * *

Later that evening Jake and Kelly were both cleaning up the hospital cafeteria as Jake was wearing a suit while Kelly was wearing a long pink ball gown like dress. Jake then said, "Well that should be the end of it. Thanks for all your help Kelly." Kelly then said, "Yeah. No problem. So I'll see you bright and early at Mama P's tomorrow?" Jake then said, "No. Get some rest girl. You need it." Kelly then said, "But you'll need the help. You'll have a whole new group of customers tomorrow itching for a second helping of all the great food they just sampled tonight." Jake sighed and said, "Yeah. You're right. Well I'll see you then. Thanks again for all your help." Kelly then began to walk away but then Jake yelled, "Hey Kelly! Your shoe came off." Kelly then looked down and with a goofy smile said, "Whoops. That's awkward." Jake then said, "Wait. I found it. Here, I'll get it back on you." Jake then brought the shoe over to Kelly's foot as a smiling Kelly said, "Aww thanks. Reuniting me with my glass slipper that's really just a hard plastic slipper. You make me feel like Cinderella." Jake then stood up and said, "Well that's not hard to pull off considering you're definitely as beautiful as her." Kelly made a sweet smile as she said, "Aww thanks. Well see ya tomorrow boss." Jake smiled as he said, "See you then pal." Jake and Kelly then both began to walk away in opposite directions. However then Jake suddenly heard Kelly yell, "Jake!" Jake stopped in his tracks and then turned around. Suddenly he saw Kelly run right up to him and then suddenly... Kelly kissed Jake on the lips. After several seconds, the kiss ended as Kelly took a step back and looked into Jake's eyes as she said, "Jake... I'm in love with you."

**TO BE CONTINUED...**


	3. Just Add Making Love

_**Six Months Later...**_

Hannah was sitting on a couch in her living room while Darbie was laying on the same couch with her hand resting on Hannah's lap. Darbie too was reading her own book, but then suddenly stopped and said, "Okay. Break time." Both Darbie and Hannah then moved their books away, and Hannah leaned down and kissed Darbie on the lips. Once she was done, Darbie giggled a bit and said, "Did anyone tell you that you're the best kisser on the planet?" Hannah smiled as she said, "Did anyone tell _you_ that you're the best girlfriend on the planet?" Darbie then reached a hand up and simply put her fingers against Hannah's cheek as she said, "Can we just sit like this forever?" Hannah smirked as she said, "Sounds nice. But we should really get back to studying. You do want to get your grades up if you want to get into Fox Canyon." Darbie then put her hand down as she said, "I've put some thought into that. I'm gonna keep studying harder but not worry as much about it anymore. I'm kinda indifferent about going to Fox Canyon now. On on hand, I wanna go so I can see you all day. But on another hand if I do start going there, we may both start falling behind in school work since I'm probably gonna spend half the time every day looking for a way for us to sneak into the janitor's closet and start kissing. So maybe I shouldn't."

Hannah giggled a bit as she put a hand on Darbie's cheek and said, "Darbie... these last six months have been the happiest time of my life." Darbie smiled as she said, "Me too. I love you Hannah. And I wanna keep on loving you in every day possible." Hannah made a big smile as she said, "Aww. Thanks." Darbie then suddenly began to look a little nervous as she said, "So... I was wondering... do you want to... you know... go _all the way_ with our love?" A confused looking Hannah then said, "What do you mean?" Darbie then had her eyes look away from Hannah slightly as she said, "I mean... like _go all the way_ with... making love... to each other." Hannah's eyes then widened as she said, "What?"

* * *

Kelly then rushed through the front door of Mama P's as she said, "I got your text. So what's the sudden private event you needed help with?" Kelly then suddenly realized the entire restaurant was empty except for Jake who was holding a rose out as he said, "The private event is our six month anniversary. And I need your help to celebrate it." Kelly smiled as she stepped towards Jake and said, "You mean you closed the entire place just for us?" Jake then said, "Eh, Wednesday evenings are always slow." Jake then turned some slow dance music on as he put his rose down, and then held out a hand as he said, "May I have this dance?" Kelly took Jake's hand as Jake led her to the middle of the empty floor. Kelly put her arms around Jake's neck while Jake put his arms around Kelly's lower back. Then two began to slowly dance and sway together as Kelly said, "I still can't believe we ended up together. It's like a dream come true." Jake smiled as he said, "You're a dream come true Kelly. I never thought I could ever have such a hard working, caring, and compassionate person to always be by my side." Kelly smiled back as she said, "How could I_ not_ be with you. You're so strong minded, determined, and passionate about what you do. How could I not be drawn to you?"

The two continued to dance for several more minutes as Kelly rested her head against Jake's chest. Eventually the silence was broken by Jake who said, "Kelly... I don't think I'll ever love a girl as much as I love you." Kelly's face then blushed as she moved her head to look at Jake right in the eyes and said, "You mean it?" Jake nodded and said, "With all my heart." Kelly then took a breath and said, "Jake. I love you. I will always love you. And I want there to be nothing between us. No secrets, no boundaries, no complications, and maybe... no clothes... in my bed... this Saturday night." A surprised looking Jake said, "Whoa. Kelly... are you saying..." Kelly nodded and said, "Yeah. Jake... I want to make love with you."

* * *

Hannah was sitting on a park bench looking nervous. Suddenly Darbie appeared walking over to her and said, "Hey. Can I sit with you?" Hannah made a little smile as she said, "You're my girlfriend. You can always sit with me." Darbie then sat next to Hannah and said, "Sorry. It's just... I was a little nervous about our relationship status after you left so abruptly yesterday." Hannah then said, "I know. It's just... I got scared Darbie." Darbie then said, "Scared because you're afraid of sex?" Hannah turned her head and said, "No. It's because I was raised to believe you should only have sex with someone you know you're going to be with forever." A startled looking Darbie then said, "Wait. You don't think we're going to be together forever?" Hannah who began to look more nervous said, "I don't know. I mean I want us to be. But I don't want us to _do_ _it_ unless we're completely sure we're always going to love each other. I mean how can I enjoy loving you in the most intimate way possible if I know it won't last forever?"

Darbie then gently grabbed Hannah's hands with her own and said, "Hannah. I totally get it. No one knows how painful it looks and feels when two people who said they were going to love each other forever break up. It still hurts when I think about how my parents got divorced. And it worries me too that I don't know how _our_ future is going to turn out. But I can't worry about the worst possible scenario that _might_ happen. Because what matters most to me right now is making a future with you that I _want_ to happen. And that future involves you and me together forever because I'm never more happier than when I'm with you." Hannah then moved one of her hands up and placed it on Darbie's chin. Tears began to come out of Hannah's eyes as she just looked into Darbie's eyes and made a small smile.

* * *

Kelly stepped out the kitchen near the end of the work day at Mama P's to see Jake sweeping the empty restaurant by himself. Kelly then walked over to Jake and said, "Hey. Can we talk?" Jake made a sigh and then said, "Well I knew this was going to eventually happen." Kelly then said, "Look. I'm sorry if it seemed like I crossed a line last night. It's just we're in such a good place, and I thought... this was the right time to start considering take our relationship to the next level." Jake then said, "I know. It's just... I'm worried if this is the best time." Kelly looked concerned said, "You don't think we're in a stage in our relationship where we're ready for sex." Jake then said, "No, it's not that. Trust me Kelly. I want to do it with you. So much. But I'm worried about what will go wrong. What if I get too rough with you? What if you get hurt? What if we regret it after it's done? What if you get..." Kelly then interrupted Jake and said, "I told you before. I'm on the pill and we'll use protection." Jake sighed and said, "I just... I just don't want anything to go wrong from us doing it, because... I want making love to you to be absolutely perfect." Kelly then smiled as she said, "But it won't be perfect Jake. We've both never done it before. I'm sure we'll fumble around a bit and feel a little confused at first. But I don't want to have sex with you because I think it'll be perfect. I want to have sex with you because I love you more than anyone else in the world Jake, and there's no one that I'd want to share my body completely with except you." Jake with a simple expression on his face said, "Really?" Kelly nodded and said, "Yeah."

* * *

On Saturday evening, Hannah and Darbie stood in front of each other in Darbie's bedroom both wearing just bath robes. Darbie then nervously said, "Okay. On three, we both drop the bath robes. One. Two. Three!" Hannah and Darbie then both immediately untied and dropped their bath robes to the ground showing their bodies were completely nude underneath. The two girls then looked at the other's naked body with somewhat amazed looks on their faces. As Hannah looked down a bit she said, "Wow. You even have red hair down there." With a smile Darbie said, "What other color would it be? Nice birth mark by the way." Hannah smiled as she said, "Thanks. You're beautiful by the way, you know?" Darbie smiled back as she said, "Thank you. And you're gorgeous." Hannah and Darbie then stepped towards each other, put their arms around each other, and then began to kiss.

* * *

At the same time in Kelly's bedroom, Kelly stood in just her pink bath robe as Jake stood in front of her wearing just his underwear. Kelly titled her head up to look into Jake's eyes with both amazement a little bit of nervousness. Jake then put his hands on Kelly's shoulders as Kelly gently untied her bath robe. Jake then used his hands to pull Kelly's bath robe off and tossed it to the ground. Kelly was now completely naked in front of Jake. Kelly who looked a little more nervous now said, "So... is it what you expected?" Jake's eyes quickly went up and down Kelly's body and then he said, "Kelly Quinn... you are the definition of beauty." Kelly smiled as she and Jake wrapped their arms around each other, and then began to kiss.

* * *

In Darbie's bedroom Hannah was laying on her back while Darbie was on top of her, as the two were still kissing. Darbie then broke her kiss with Hannah as she said, "Well now it's time I meet your other _lips_." Darbie then began to move her head under the blanket as Hannah said, "Wait. Can you see under the blanket? Maybe we should just take it off." Darbie then said, "No. It'll be fine." Darbie then moved her head under the blanket as she began to move her face down Hannah's body. After a moment, Hannah giggled and said, "So Darbie... that's my belly button you have your tongue inside." Darbie then stuck her head up from under the blanket and said, "Maybe we should take this blanket off." Hannah and Darbie then looked right into each other's eyes silently for a moment, and then suddenly burst out in giggling.

* * *

In Kelly's bedroom Kelly laid naked on her bed as Jake was on all fours also naked over her. Jake then said, "You ready?" Kelly nodded and said, "Yeah." Jake then slowly lowered his body down and within seconds he said, "Ohhh baby." Kelly then with a simple expression on her face said, "Jake... you missed. Those are my legs you squeezed it between." Jake looked down for a second, and then at Kelly's face with a worried look on his face. Kelly then moved her face up and gave Jake a quick peck on the lips. The two teenagers then both laughed.

* * *

Some time later in Darbie's bedroom Darbie and Hannah both cuddled while still naked together as Darbie said, "Whoa. That was just... whoa. I never dreamed it would feel that intense." Hannah then laid on her side next to Darbie and wrapped her arms around Darbie's back as she nestled her head under Darbie's chin and let her long hair brush up against Darbie's body and then said, "Darbie... I'm so glad we did that. Thank you. I've never felt so happy." Darbie then hugged Hannah tightly as she nestled her face against Hannah's head, and the two teenage girls began to fall asleep together.

* * *

In Kelly's bedroom Jake laid on his back while Kelly laid on her side. As Jake put one arm around Kelly's back, Jake said, "So how do you feel?" Kelly bent her knees a bit as she nestled her head next to Jake's and said, "Happy. Just so happy. I'm so happy we did this. I love you Jake." Jake nodded and said, "I know. Have sweet dreams Kelly." As the two began to close their eyes Kelly said, "Hey. I'm already living one." The two then embraced as they began to fall asleep together as the night went on.

**TO BE CONTINUED...**


	4. Just Add Sacrifices

In a corner booth at Mama P's Kelly sat by herself smiling as she drank a cup of chocolate tea while smiling as she looked outside the window. From nearby Hannah and Darbie rushed in. As the two girls sat down with Kelly, Darbie said, "Sorry we're late. Hopefully you didn't think we forgot our regular Saturday morning tradition of having breakfast here." Kelly made a little smirk as she said, "Oh I knew you wouldn't forget. Although it looks like you both forgot which shirts you own. Um... Hannah, why are you wearing one of Darbie's shirts? And is that one of Hannah's tops you have on Darbie?" Darbie and Hannah looked at their outfits as Darbie said, "Oh shoot. We must've gotten our clothes mixed up after..." Kelly's eyes then widened a little as she said, "Wait. You two would've only on put on the wrong outfits if you took them off in the same room. And the only reason you'd have to put them on in the same room in the_ morning_ is if..."

Kelly's eyes then widened greatly and then she said, "Did you two have sex last night?" Hannah who look a little nervous said, "Well..." Then with a straight forward tone Darbie said, "Yeah, we did." Kelly's happy smile opened up as she said, "Oh my gosh. That is crazy." Hannah then said, "So wait. You could tell that by just seeing us wear the wrong outfits?" Kelly then said, "Well, there was that. And there was the kind of beaming glow you two had on your faces. It's the kind of glow a girl only makes when she loses her virginity for the first time." Darbie then said, "But how would you be so good at knowing how a girl looks when she loses her virginity for the first time? Unless... you saw it in the mirror this morning. Which means... you had sex last night too!?" A grinning Kelly then said, "Shhh. Keep it down. And... yes. With Jake."

An excited looking Hannah said, "You're serious. Oh my gosh. Tell us everything." A still grinning Kelly moved some hair away from her face as she said, "Well... I kinda wanna keep the details to myself for now. It just makes it feel more exciting." Darbie then said, "Aw come on Kelly. If you tell us, I'll give you all the details of how Hannah, once she starts eating you out, turns into a total animal in bed." Hannah's face turned red as she said, "Maybe we _should_ keep our love making details to ourselves." Kelly then said, "Totally. But... I am very happy for you two." Darbie then grabbed Kelly's hands as she said, "And we're so happy for you too Kelly. And with summer coming up, we are all going to re-define what summer lovin really means." Hannah then suddenly heard her phone ring as she said, "Oops. Excuse me. I gotta take this." Hannah then got up and walked out of the restaurant as a curious Kelly said, "Know what's that's about?" Darbie then said, "No idea. But I'll find out soon I'm sure.

* * *

Hannah and Darbie were later walking down a sidewalk together as Darbie said, "Hey. You haven't said much since you got your phone call during breakfast. What's up?" Hannah then said, "Well... I got a call from a young academic scholars program I applied to. It's a program that lets young people do all kind of science experiments in an open and creative environment. And I got in." A smiling Darbie then said, "Well that's awesome Hannah. Congrats. But why do you look so sad?" Hannah then said, "Well... it's a sleep away summer program... that'll be all summer long." A somewhat disappointed looking Darbie then said, "Wait. You mean we're gonna be apart _all_ summer?" Hannah nodded with a sad look on her face.

Then after a moment of silence Darbie then said, "You should go." A surprised looking Hannah then said, "What!?" Darbie then said, "Hannah, you're the smartest girl I've ever known. And I'm sure this program is just gonna make you more amazingly awesome smart. I hate that I'm gonna be away from you for so long. But I'd hate it more if you weren't nurturing your God-given gifts and talents. I love you Hannah, and I'd never wanna stop you from following your dreams." Hannah then made a big smile as she said, "Darbie... you are the greatest girlfriend in the world." Hannah then held her arms out, and then she and Darbie embraced and kissed the other. Once their kiss was complete, Darbie then with a straight forward face said, "We're video chatting though every night right?" Hannah then said, "Yeah. Of course." Darbie then said, "Good. And if I text you before we video chat with the words: _Cold Blood_, that's the code phrase to know I'll be video chatting you without any clothes on, and I expect to see none on you when you answer. Got that?" Hannah made a little giggle and then said, "Okay."

* * *

A few days later, Kelly was packing several bags in her bedroom when Jake stepped in and knocked on the door. Kelly turned her head and made a beaming smile as she saw Jake and said, "Oh, hey Jake. Where's your stuff? By the way, my parents are so excited that you're coming on our camping trip with us. Although, be forewarned that this will be more like an extended interview with my father as he gauges if you're good enough for his little girl." Jake then said, "Yeah about that Kelly. I... I'm not going." Kelly then stepped towards Jake as she said, "What? But we were really looking forward to this. Us, experiencing the outdoors together, walking together hand in hand." Then Kelly stepped closer to Jake and whispered, "And what about our plan to sneak away in the night to bathe under the falls, and make out under it together?" Jake then said, "I'm sorry Kelly but Mama P is taking another last minute vacation and has asked me to take care of the shop." Kelly then said, "What? Again?" Jake then said, "Well honestly... I think she's planning to sell the shop to me as soon as I graduate from high school and is testing me to see if I can work well under pressure. And I gotta show her I can be a good manager. I'm sorry Kelly." Kelly sighed and said "I'm sorry too."

* * *

Later that day Jake was delivering food to a customer's table and said, "Enjoy your food." Jake then turned around and suddenly saw Kelly standing in a work apron as she said, "How can I help boss?" A surprised looking Jake said, "Kelly!? What are you doing here? What about your family vacation and..." Kelly then said, "I told my family I couldn't go. I wanted to be here with you. Because whether it's hiking in the mountains, or just making grill cheese together, I will always want to be at your side." Jake who looked like he was at a loss for words said, "Kelly, I... wow. I... thank you." Kelly then moved her mouth close to Jake's ear and whispered, "And besides. With my only my grandma at home, it'll be a lot easier for you to sneak in, so we can have some _fun_ in the shower tonight." Jake smiled as he looked into Kelly's eyes as he said, "You know I love you, right?" Kelly smirked as she said, "I know."

NEXT TIME: WE JUMP FORWARD TO THE ADULT YEARS!


	5. Just Add Marriage

**EIGHT YEARS LATER:**

Hannah was sitting down on a couch in an apartment reading a book when the door opened and Darbie stepped in. Hannah then stood up and said, "Darbie! Sorry, I didn't come pick you up when your plane landed but I was lecturing and..." Darbie then ran up to Hannah, wrapped her arms around her and immediately kissed her. Hannah stood a little off balance for a quick moment, but then put her hands on Darbie's hips and kissed back. Once the kiss finished, Darbie said, "Hannah, we talked about this. No apologies are needed for things like that. I'll love you always." Hannah made a little smile as she said, "Yeah. I know." Darbie and Hannah then sat on a couch together as Darbie said, "So how did your meeting with the dean go?" With a big smile Hannah said, "I got the position. You are now looking at Lavender Heights University's youngest tenured professor ever." A smiling Darbie said, "Oh my gosh. Congratulations Hannah. I always knew you could do it." Darbie and Hannah then immediately hugged each other.

Once their hug was over Hannah said, "So tell me. How did your trip in California go?" Darbie then said, "Well... it's crazy. I mean it was already like living in a dream when my agent told me a studio wanted to turn my book into a TV pilot, _but_... Amazon is picking up the series. I'm the creator a brand new streaming TV series!" Hannah smiled as she hugged Darbie again and said, "Wow Darbie. This amazing!" Once Hannah finished hugging Darbie she noticed Darbie looked a little upset. A little concerned looking now, Hannah said, "Darbie, what? What's wrong?" Darbie then said, "The thing is... the producers like my style of writing, so... I'm also being brought on as a full time writer on the series so I need to regularly meet the show's other writers and staff... in California." A shocked looking Hannah said, "Whoa. So... whoa." Darbie then said, "Yeah. I know. This totally screws up our plans now. You were gonna become a full time professor, and then we would get married and I would be your stay at home _artistic_ wife who writes new books from her living room but now..." Hannah cut Darbie off and said, "It's like life just pulled the rug out from under us." Darbie nodded her head as she looked down and said, "Yeah."

The two were silent for a moment. Hannah then touched Darbie's chin and lifted her head up a bit and said, "Hey. We'll figure things out. TV shows don't last forever. You can ride the new job out for a few years, get a ton of money, and then we can live a happy simpler life in our cozy single floor house out in the country." Darbie smiled as she said, "I'm glad you remembered I only want to live in a _single_ floor home. Stairs are always annoying to vacuum." Hannah giggled as she leaned her head against Darbie's and said, "Hey. This doesn't change anything. I love you more than anyone else in the world. And we're going to get married and make this work one day, okay?" Darbie nodded and said, "Okay."

* * *

The sun light slowly began to shine into a bedroom. At the edge of the bed, Kelly Quinn laid on her stomach with her face turned on her pillow as she slowly began to open her eyes. Kelly was completely naked with only a blanket covering her body from her waist down. As Kelly opened her eyes she smiled as she looked at Jake who was sleeping next to her, also naked. As the sun from the outdoor window began to shine in more, it caused Jake to also open up his eyes. The first sight Jake saw was Kelly laying naked in front of him. He smiled as he said, "Hey." With a very big smile on her face, Kelly said, "Hey." Jake then said, "Wow. I can't believe we woke up at the crack of dawn without an alarm clock considering how long we had _fun_ last night." Kelly giggled a bit as she got on top of Jake and laid her body on top of him as she wrapped her arms around her boyfriend and said, "I know. I couldn't believe we were able to do those moves we learned from that site. It's like our love making last night was..." Jake cut Kelly off as he rested his hands on Kelly's butt and said, "Magic." Kelly's smile got bigger as she nodded.

Suddenly Jake looked at a clock near him and say, "Shoot. It's daylight savings. I've lost time and have to get to the shop." Kelly then said, "But Jake, it's Sunday morning." Jake then quickly jumped out of the bed and began to get dressed as he said, "Yeah, well we're catering for that sports event today so we have to get the ovens going. And the new help doesn't have the key to the shop yet so I gotta go." Kelly who was sitting up with a blanket wrapped partially around her said, "But I thought we were gonna..." Jake then said, "Sorry Kelly. Gotta go." Jake then rushed out of the house quickly leaving Kelly alone in the bedroom and looking upset.

* * *

Hannah stood in her bathroom naked as she stepped into the shower and turned it on. Hannah closed her eyes as she began to feel the hot water go down her body. Suddenly Darbie sneaked into the bathroom quietly, took off all her clothes, and got into the shower with Hannah. Darbie then squeezed Hannah's butt cheeks with her two hands quickly as she said, "Hey beautiful." A scared Hannah jumped and crossed her arms as she put her hands on her shoulders. Hannah immediately calmed down when saw it was Darbie and said, "Darbie. I told you it scares me when you do that." Darbie then put her hands behind her back as she said, "I know. But then I remember doing it really turns me on so I repeat." Darbie then wrapped her arms around Hannah's stomach as she rested her head on Hannah's left shoulder and said, "Thank you for not being mad at me for getting my new TV job. I was a little worried you'd be upset about us not being able to finally settle down after spending the last four years in a long distance relationship." Hannah then said, "Darbie, we've been through this before. We love each other, but we can't stop the other from following their dreams. You have a gift Darbie that needs to be shared with the world."

Darbie then moved her arms up around Hannah's still crossed arms as she said, "Well I can't begin to tell you how much that means to me. But the thing is Hannah... you're my greatest dream. And I don't want to spend _months_ apart from you. So I've already decided. I'll do my job Mondays through Fridays every week, and take a plane home to spend every weekend with you." A surprised looking Hannah then said, "But Darbie. I can't ask you come here every weekend just to cuddle with your girlfriend." Darbie then moved her hands near Hannah's face, both were clasped together, as Darbie said, "I know. But I won't be flying on a plane every week just to see my girlfriend. Instead, I'll be flying home to see... my wife." Darbie then opened up her hands to show she was holding a diamond ring. Hannah's mouth opened up and then she moved her hands to her mouth to cover it as her eyes widened in amazement. Darbie then nestled her head against Hannah's and said, "Hannah Parker-Kent... will you marry me?"

Hannah then turned her body around so she was looking right at Darbie and said, "Yes Darbie O'Brien. Yes, I will!" Hannah and Darbie then wrapped their arms around each other and kissed for a long solid minute. Once their kiss ended, Hannah then took the diamond ring from Darbie and put it on her ring finger. As Hannah looked at it she said, "It's beautiful. Wow. I... I'm sorry I didn't get you one or..." Darbie then suddenly held up another ring as she said, "I already got one for myself. Wanted to make sure we definitely had a matching pair." A confused looking Hannah then said, "What the? Darbie, where were you hiding that? You're naked." Darbie smirked as she said, "Between my butt cheeks. You can hide a lot there if you just clench them the right way." Hannah giggled as she said, "Oh my gosh. You know for the rest of our lives, people are gonna ask about how you proposed to me, and I'm never gonna be able to tell them the truth." Darbie giggled too as she and Hannah embraced the other and began to kiss again.

* * *

Hours later in the park, Kelly was sitting on one side of a picnic table as Hannah and Darbie sat on the other. Hannah and Darbie were both holding out their engagement rings as a wide eyed and surprised looking Kelly said, "Wow. I can't believe you two are really getting married." Darbie then said, "I know. It was just an impulse buy I did at the airport but once I said the words... I knew it was the right timing." Hannah then said, "Hey, it's not too off topic, so... I hope you don't mind me asking but... when are you and Jake gonna get married? I mean you two moved in as soon as you graduated from high school." Kelly made a little smile as she brushed some hair away from her face and said, "Oh, I don't mind you asking. Just like I don't mind my parents asking me... every time I see them. But to answer your question... it's... kind of complicated." Darbie then said, "What's complicated about it? Me and Hannah have spent years living in different states. You and Jake have been sharing the same bedroom for years now."

Kelly sighed and said, "It's the restaurant. Jake has been working really hard at trying to expand it, and perform all sorts of catering services. And it's going really well. It's just... taking a lot of his time." Hannah then said, "Well if it's going well, can't Jake just hire more staff to run things?" Kelly then said, "He did. And he said once he had more staff to run the shop, we'd get married. And he _did_ train a whole lot of new staff. Then he became so good at training, that he now teaches cooking all week as well. People pay top dollar for his classes and it only helps the business." Darbie then said, "So when are you two getting married then?" Kelly then said, "When he gets some more free time." Hannah then with a concerned look said, "Which will be when?" Kelly then said, "When Jake stops teaching as much, or when these catering jobs die down a little maybe." Darbie then gently touched Kelly's hands as she said, "Kelly... are you happy with your life right now?" Kelly then suddenly made a little smile as she said, "Yeah. Of course. I love Jake and I love getting to support him. He's following his dreams and has one of the most successful businesses in town." Hannah then gently touched Kelly's hands too as she said, "And it's great Jake is doing so well. But... Kelly are you happy because you truly are? Or do you just _think_ you're happy because Jake is." A few tears began to appear in Kelly's eyes as she said, "I don't know." Kelly then suddenly stood up and said, "I'm sorry. I need to take a quick bathroom break. My stomach has been feeling a bit weird for the last few days. We'll still meet tomorrow, right?" Hannah and Darbie nodded as Kelly quickly ran off. Hannah and Darbie then looked at each other with concerned looks as Darbie said, "Do you think..."

* * *

Hours later in the evening Jake walked into his apartment and saw Kelly sitting by herself on the couch in a dimly lit room. A surprised Jake said, "Oh, hey Kelly. I didn't think you'd still be up." With a calm voice, Kelly said, "I wanted to be here when you got home. Why'd you get home so late?" Jake then said, "Had to work on a big shipment we're sending out tomorrow." Kelly then took a deep breath and then said, "Jake... I need you to spend less time at the restaurant." A surprised Jake then said, "What? Where is _this_ coming from?" Kelly then said, "Jake. You keep saying you'll do less there, but that never changes. You need to give yourself a little more space from that place because of your priorities." A still surprised sounding Jake said, "Priorities? But Kelly, I provide more than enough for us, and we still have our Saturday evenings together and..." Kelly then said, "Not your _current_ priorities. But your _soon to be _priorities." Jake's eyes began to widen as he said, "Wait. Are you saying..." Tears began to come out of Kelly's eyes as she said, "Jake... I'm pregnant."

**TO BE CONTINUED...**


	6. Just Add Break Up

Jake rushed into his apartment and saw Kelly sitting on the couch by herself with a sad face. A guilty looking Jake said, "Kelly. Look I am so sorry I didn't come to the doctor's with you. It's just we had a huge number of orders being made at the restaurant. But I promise you I will be there for you next time you..." Kelly immediately interrupted Jake and said, "It was a false alarm. It turns out I'm _not_ pregnant." Jake immediately sat down next to Kelly in relief as he said, "Phew. Well.. I'm still sorry anyway Kelly. Look, I promise you though. If this kind of scare happens again and you are pregnant, I will definitely be there for you and..." Kelly interrupted Jake again and said, "There isn't going to be a next time Jake. I needed you today Jake. I needed you to think about something besides the restaurant for once and you... didn't." Jake then said, "But Kelly. I told you, it got really busy today and..." Kelly cut off Jake and said, "It gets busy all the time Jake. And it never will stop getting busy."

Jake then with a little smile said, "Yeah but we've talked about this before. This is my dream. And to make dreams come true, you've gotta make sacrifices." Kelly nodded and said, "Yeah. Sacrifices for _your_ dream. But what about _mine_?" Jake then said, "What do you mean? We're together. You work with me at the shop, and I'll forever be thankful for all the help you give and..." Kelly cut off Jake once more and said, "No, I mean... Jake, I don't even know what I really want to do with my life. For the majority of my teenage years, and the entirety of my adult life so far, everything I've done is to help _you_ and make _your_ dreams come true. And I'm so glad your dreams are coming true Jake. I really am. But... I've taken no time yet to figure out what _I_ want." Jake then with a simple expression said, "Well what do you want Kelly?" Kelly then said, "I want... to do something besides cooking finally, and then... have a family. I want kids Jake. But I want kids who will have_ two_ parents that are there for them. And when I thought I was pregnant, I was sad not because I believed I was pregnant... but because I believed I would be raising a child who would never have their father around." Jake then touched Kelly's hands and said, "Kelly... I want _us_ to work."

Kelly nodded and said, "I know. But you love your work. And it _is_ good work. And I could never tell you to walk away from it. Jake, it's time we admit to ourselves we don't have a future together... so we can make the best one we can apart." Jake then said, "Kelly... I love you." Kelly then gently grabbed Jake's hands as tears came from her eyes as she said, "I know. I love you too Jake. But I can't let you keep loving _me_ until I figure out who I truly am. But please know, I don't regret falling in love with you. I don't regret losing my virginity to you. I know that I will love you till the day I die. But I need to set you free so you can follow your dreams without anything holding you down." Kelly then moved her face forward and kissed Jake on the lips for a moment. Eventually the kiss ended and then Kelly stood up as she said, "I'm going now. All my stuff is in my car." Jake then stood up as he said, "Kelly, please..." Kelly turned her head away from Jake and closed her eyes as she said, "My key is on the kitchen counter. Don't come after me Jake. It'll only be more painful. Goodbye." Then Kelly headed out the door as Jake simply remained standing still with a sad look on his face.

* * *

In Hannah and Darbie's apartment, Hannah and Darbie were looking through a catalogue as Darbie said, "What about that?" Hannah then said, "I don't know. Are you sure I should wear a _white_ wedding dress? I mean white is supposed to represent purity before marriage, and I think we're both way past that mark." Darbie smirked as she said, "Hannah, it'll be official in just a few months, but when you think of it: we've been married in spirit for years now. We've been faithful and loyal to just each other, so... I say we're pure." Hannah giggled, but then the two suddenly heard a knock at the door. The two both got up, opened the door, and saw Kelly standing at the door with two large bags next to her. A concerned looking Hannah said, "Kelly... are you all right?" Kelly with a calm face said, "Yeah. It's just... I kinda need a place to stay for a little while because me and Jake... we... we..." Suddenly Kelly's facial expression quickly changed from calm to completely sad as tears began to quickly stream out of her eyes and she began to sob and cry. Hannah and Darbie immediately reached out and hugged Kelly, as Kelly fell into their arms and continued to cry.

* * *

***Six Months Later**

Darbie and Hannah were both wearing white wedding dresses as they danced together in a large social hall. Kelly stood by herself nearby watching them wearing a long blue dress with her hair tied back while drinking some sparkling cider. Suddenly from nearby Jake walked up to Kelly and said, "Hey Kelly." With a slight surprise Kelly said, "Jake. Hey." Jake nodded and said, "Hey... again. So... how are you doing?" Kelly then said, "Good. So... how's the restaurant?" Jake then said, "Great. Finally opened that second store." Kelly then said, "Oh. Congratulations." Jake then said, "How about you?" Kelly then said, "Well I've started college finally in Bay City. Zoe says hi by the way. And I've gotten a part time job taking care of kids after school. It's actually pretty fun." Jake made a little smile and said, "I'm happy for Kelly. So... you ever gonna swing by the restaurant again?" Kelly then said, "Oh, of course. Me, Hannah, and Darbie first met there, so we still plan to have lunch at our favorite table every year for our friendship anniversary no matter where we all live. Although be forewarned, one year you might see all of us twice at the same time." A confused looking Jake said, "What?" Kelly smirked and said, "It doesn't matter. But um... anyway, I have to get going. But um... yeah. So... bye." Kelly then walked away from Jake as Jake simply remained standing still as he softly said, "Goodbye Kelly."

**THE END**


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